The use of portable storage enclosures for transporting and maintaining various items has proven to be very effective. Storage enclosures provide protection for the items within, while also allowing quick and easy access to the items. One of the best examples of a portable storage enclosure is commonly known as a tackle box. Although tackle boxes were originally designed to transport and maintain various small items that are used by fishermen, such as lures, fishing line, etc., tackle boxes have also been widely used for other purposes, such as transporting and storing artist supplies, office supplies and other small items.
One problem that does persist when using a storage enclosure is where to place the enclosure. This problem is especially prevalent for tackle boxes that are taken on boats for fishing. There is often limited space on the deck of a boat and when there are several fishermen, each with their own tackle box, the problem is exacerbated.
Another reason that this problem is significant on boats is that boats commonly have pedestal type chairs. When a standard four-leg chair is present, it is often possible to place a storage enclosure beneath the chair. As a result of a pedestal chair's design it is difficult to place any item, let alone a storage enclosure, beneath a pedestal chair.
The obvious solution to this problem would be to design a storage enclosure that could be placed and maintained beneath a pedestal chair. One of the most important features though, would allow a person to normally and comfortably sit on a pedestal chair without any encumbrance from the storage enclosure located beneath the chair.
Although there are a relatively smaller number of pedestal chairs in use compared with conventional four-leg chairs, the benefits achieved by providing a storage enclosure that can be placed beneath a pedestal would still be significant.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
Pat. No.INVENTORISSUED4,887,379Harrison19 Dec. 19895,577,458Kohl26 Nov. 19965,799,787 Talbot 1 Sep. 1998
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,379 patent discloses a fishing tackle box that is secured to the underside of a bass boat pedestal seat. A mounting structure permits the box to be pivoted relative to the seat between a latched stowage position in which the box is positioned entirely beneath and closely adjacent the underside of the seat, and a use position in which the box is positioned outwardly adjacent the side edge periphery of the seat. The mounting structure includes a pivotal mounting member intersecured between the seat and box, and a latch member pivotable between a latching position.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,458 patent discloses a pedestal mounted seat storage base assembly for mounting on a pedestal base plate. The assembly comprises a storage base having a top and a bottom, a seat mounted on the storage base and a pedestal base plate adaptor mounted on the bottom of the storage base and configured for mounting on the pedestal base plate.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,787 patent discloses a tackle box that includes a rotatable cover, one or more storage trays, a bottom tray and a central shaft for vertically stacking and mounting the storage tray or trays and a rotatable cover to the bottom tray. Access to the tackle box is made by rotating the cover and/or the storage trays. The side walls of the bottom tray and storage tray or trays in combination with the bottom tray floor and rotatable cover form the exterior surface of the tackle box. The number of storage trays that are included in the tackle box may be varied by changing a point of connection between the central shaft and the bottom tray.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related reference may be made to the remaining patents located in the search:
Pat. No.INVENTORISSUEDD400,742Jackson10 Nov. 19983,780,468Maffett25 Dec. 19734,023,304Singer17 May 19774,067,607Battles10 Jan. 19784,266,707Rossman12 May 19814,474,291Fortson 2 Oct. 19844,662,303Duff 5 May 19874,791,752Van Kampen20 Dec. 19885,657,573Fischer, et al19 Aug. 19975,934,010Blackburn10 Aug. 19996,550,613Amato22 Apr. 2003